Concrete fence-post.



N9. 784:,866. I PATENTED MAR. 14, 1905. R H. LATHERS. CONCRETE FENCEPOST.

APPLICATION FILED OUT-27, 1904.

UNITED STATES Patented March 14, 1905.

REUBEN H. LATHERS, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

CONCRETE FENCE-POST- SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0.784,866, dated March 14, 1905.

Applicatitn nee October 27, 190 1. Serial No. 230,282.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, REUBEN H. LATHERS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Detroit, in the county of Wayne and State of Michigan, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Concrete Fence-Posts, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in concrete fence-posts, and hasfor its object to provide a strong durable post into which can be drivenat any point along its face ordinary nails or fence-staples. This Iattain by use of a nailing-strip of wood or similar material which isembedded in the cementitious post.

The novel and principal feature of the invention is the method ofembedding this strip in such a manner that the post will not crack alongthe sides of the strip, and, further, to provide a surface of concreteover the strip to protect it from the elements. I am able to obtain bythe novel construction which I employ a comparatively thin coating ofconcrete over the outer face of my nailing-strip in such a manner and ofsuch construction that the same is not ruptured by a nail or staple, butpermits the same to pass through itinto the nailing-strip and make onlya small hole. It is important in the manufacture of concrete fence-poststo reinforce the same with a sufiicient amount of metal, which should beplaced as far removed from the central line or neutral axis of the postas possible.

In my construction I utilize a metal mesh to make the frontreinforcement of mypost and to prevent the concrete facing from crackingand spalling. These parts are shown in the annexed drawings, whichillustrate my invention and constitute a part of this specification.

Figure l is a perspective view of a post constructed according to myinvention, showing a slight nailing-groove along" the front face, belowwhich is the mesh binding and reinforcing member and the nailing-strip.Fig. 2 is a cross-section of the post on the line m m of Fig. 1. Fig. 3is a view of the nailingstrip with the metal-mesh. reinforcementattached. Fig. 4 is aview of the rear reinforcement. Fig. 5 is a View ofan auxiliary reinforcement, which may be inserted at the ground-line, ifdesired.

Similar letters refer to like parts throughout the different views.

A is the body portion of the post, which consists of Portland cement,concrete, or similar cementitious substance. I preferably make thissquare or rectangular in cross-section, with the corners slightlyremoved.

B is a nailing-strip of Wood or similar substance running longitudinallyof the upper part of the post and along the front surface. This stripwill be depressed a half-inch or so beneath the surface of the concrete.This wood strip may run the entire length of the post, but preferablywill begin an inch or so from the top of the post and extend within acouple of inches above the ground-line.

U is a narrow strip of metal mesh, preferably of ordinary wire-cloth,but may be of any other woven or expanded metal construction desired.This strip of wire-cloth or the like has attached to its back surface atthe central line a small strip of wood or like material, (represented byB.) Short staples 0 are employed to hold the wood strip'B and the metalcloth U in position. The outer edges of this strip of metal cloth arepreferably turned upward about one-half inch.

D, as shown, is a metal reinforcement for the rear side of the post andmay be constructed of a single piece of metal bent upon itself atitsmiddle. I prefer this rectangular or elliptical in cross-section toincrease the amount of surface for the steel employed. This metalreinforcement may be deformed, if desired,

to make a mechanical bond with the concrete,

though the adhesion between the steel and concrete will ordinarily besufficient to utilize the full tensional strength of the steel. Thestrip of metal cloth serves both for the reinforcement of the front sideof the post and for binding members for the concrete. In certain casesit may be desirable to employ in the front section of the post a metalreinforcement similar to that used in the rear, which would be insertedback of the metal cloth and within the upturned edges.

' As shown in Fig. 3, the nailing-strip B does not extend the entirelength of the metal cloth. The auxiliary reinforcement E is designed tobe inserted at the ground-line F and to extend in the neighborhood ofone and one-half feet above and below this line. In construction thisauxiliary member would be laid in the post immediately behind the metalcloth and with its upper ends on either side of the lower end of thenailing strip.

l is a slight groove about one-fourth inch in depth along the frontcenter line of the post. The object of this groove is to reduce thethickness of the concrete coating immediately over the nailing-strip toserve as a marker for placing the staples and, further, to enable thefence-wire to be slightly kinked and held securely to the post when thestaples G are driven firmly into position. It will be observed that thewire H rests solidly against the front surface of the post on eitherside of the groove 1 and that the staple will force the wire into thegroove. Itis very important to obtain a secure attachment of the fenceat each post, so that the entire strain of the fence is not communicatedto the end posts.

In practice I prefer to mold my post with face down, in which case thepallet would have a bead at a proper position to form the groove 1. Asuflicient amount of concrete is first placed in the mold and struckoff, leaving a thin layer of concrete for the face of the post. Themetal-mesh strip with the nailingstrip attached is then placed in themold, which is then nearly filled full of concrete. The rearreinforcement is next inserted and concrete added to complete the post.

Other modifications may be had and other methods of reinforcement usedWithout departing from the intended scope of my invention, the gist ofwhich consists in a meshed strip for reinforcing and binding theconcrete and the nailing-strip for receiving the nails or staples.

Having thus fully described my invention, What I claim, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a concrete fence-post the combination with a nailing-stripembedded in the cementitious body, of a strip of wire-cloth along thefront surface of said nailing-stri p, of a groove in the front surfaceof the post, and metal reinforcements embedded in the corners of theposts, substantially as described.

2. A concrete fence-post havinga groove along the front surface, of anailing-strip of wood having wire-cloth attached to the front surface,said nailing-strip and wire-cloth embedded in the cementitious bodymaterial of the post at a short distance below the said groove, ofadditional metal reinforcements disposed in other portions of the post,substantially as described.

3. A concrete fence-post consisting of a eementitious body material, ofa strip of wirecloth embedded in the front surface of the post andextending through its length, of a nailing-strip placed immediatelybehind said wire-cloth running longitudinally of the post above theground-line, of metal reinforcements disposed in the corners of theposts, substantially as described.

4. A fence-post consisting of a eernentitious body material, anailing-strip embedded in one face of the post and protected by acovering consisting of a strip of open metal mesh laid in the face ofthe post, the pores of the mesh being filled with the cementitious bodymaterial, substantially as described.

5. A fence-post consisting of a cementitious body reinforced with metalpieces embedded therein and running longitudinally thereof, of a stripof wire-cloth embedded in the post a short distance beneath the surface,of a nailing-strip immediately under the Wire-cloth and the cementitiouscoating contained Within the interstices of the Wire-cloth,substantially as described.

In witness whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

REUBEN H. LATHERS. WVitnesses:

ALEX. M. REA, DAVID N. HARPER.

